Thursday, February 11, 2010

SLOWBEER'S NEWS, REVIEWS & ARRIVALS

FEATURE BEERSOrkney Dark Island Reserve (SCO)10% abv 750ml $45.00 From arguably one of Scotland’s most famed breweries, the dark island reserve is brewed as a limited release of only 1,500 bottles. In terms of style, this beer is almost a hybrid of a porter & barley wine but perhaps more fittingly named a strong ale. Aged in old Dalmore whisky casks for 3 months enables this ale to develop excellent depth & complexity. Rich & viscous in body displaying smoke & peated malt characters as well as rich coffee & chocolate notes from the roasted malt. Raisin & prune like fruity esters add to the already multifaceted palate. Certainly one of the worlds best brews & has excellent cellaring potential. Its certainly quite apt that this beer is one of the original whisky cask aged beers, having had many more modern examples, they simply don’t compare to the balance, complexity & depth this one has! (Limited stocks!)

Worthington’ White Shield (ENG)5.6% abv 500ml $8.00Very glad to see this back in Oz after quite a long absence & thought to be one of the original & still most authentic English IPAs around. While these days every craft brewer & their dog are producing an IPA of some form, most being the excessively robust US style. As far as the purists are concerned, the story goes a little like this: British Colonial troops in India wanting to reminisce about their favorite local tipples were having a hard time doing so, as brews shipped to them from the mother country often arrived with them in less than ideal condition. Thus, English brewers would produce a much more robust version of their staple pale ales for export to Colonial India. Traditionally hops were employed in beer as a preservative, so in a bid to ensure the beer stayed fresh plenty more hops were used, creating a considerably hoppier pale ale, now termed India Pale Ale.

This one pours clear amber/copper with a nice foamy white head. Nose is typically English, marmalade & caramel/toffee malt with floral/grassy hops. Palate is rather creamy with a decent amount of carbonation. Caramel malt gives way to big grassy/earthy hop bitterness & maybe a touch sulfury, ala burton on trent ales. Pretty robust finish & easy to see why this is a classic English IPA.GREAT DEALSTo be honest, we don’t really intend to make a habit of offering these crazy deals. Reason being is that our prices are already among the best in the country. That said, its hard to resist great beer at a great price!TIMOTHY TAYLOR LANDLORD ALE 4 FOR $24...THAT’S $6 EACH!4.1% abv 500ml $7.50So generally speaking english ales aren't quite my thing. However, I'm willing to make a huge concession for Landlord as it is near perfection! Coming in at an honest 4.1%abv this beer punches well above its weight. It possesses truck loads of complexity, while still being an easy drinking & refreshing brew. There is certainly plenty to think about but it doesn’t demand your attention. Subtle, yet rich caramel & toffee malt provide a good base for the delicate floral & spicy English hops that drive a long but unobtrusive finish. The hops are certainly there & have their presence felt but wont be punching you in the mouth like so many others!

Also, don’t forget our Nogne O 3+1 Deal as stock is fast dissapearing!PURCHASE ANY 3 NOGNE O BEERS & RECEIVE THEIR IMPERIAL STOUT FREE! (VALUED AT $16.00)UPCOMING ARRIVALSYou’d be forgiven for thinking the fun never stops here at slowbeer. Its true, there is always something new arriving or something new in the pipeline & that’s the way we like it!

BREWDOG (SCO) – in the next few weeks we are expecting a number of new brewdog beers including the highly controversial (& expensive!) Tactical Nuclear Penguin. Others include: Tokyo* Version 2, Hardcore IPA & 5AM Saint